REAL MADRID: POSITIVE SIGNALS? PERHAPS?

Tyson Chandler Trade Canceled

It looks like Tyson Chandler will stay a New Orleans Hornet after all. Tyson Chandler failed his physical and the Oklahoma City Thunder rescinded the trade with the Hornets. It will be interesting to see if the Hornets try to work out a quick deal for Chandler before today's trade deadline. If not it will be interesting to see how Chandler responds knowing that the Hornets wanted him gone. I know that Chris Paul and David West will be happy that he is back. Surprisingly the Hornets are 2-0 since Chandler was traded.

Chastain wants Ryan out

"People say this is a step back, but I think Greg Ryan has put us three steps back – all the way to the starting gate," said Chastain, the 1999 World Cup hero who watched Thursday's loss from her home in Northern California. "He lacks the ability to communicate and is not in tune with his players, and he's obviously not a tactician or he wouldn't have made the decisions he did.

"This will define Greg Ryan. He did not prepare his players to play in this World Cup the way they needed to be prepared. He was like a general who sent his soldiers into battle with no plan, and it showed. If they don't fire him, there should be a nationwide protest against U.S. Soccer because it would mean that they just don't care."

U.S. women's soccer team preps for World Cup

"It's like being a lion tamer," the assistant coach says. "Sometimes you have your head in the lion, and you don't want them to snap down on you. These girls are tough."

Florida State is number 1

RANK/TEAM (RECORD) LAST WEEK
1. Florida State (1-0-0) 4
2. Santa Clara (2-0-0) 5
3. Notre Dame (2-0-0) 6
4. Texas A&M (2-0-0) 9
5. Penn State (1-0-1) 8
6. Virginia (2-0-0) 7
7. UCLA (1-1-0) 1
8. Portland (0-1-1) 2
9. North Carolina (1-1-0) 3
10. Duke (2-0-0) 13

MotoGP : 2008 Spain - Qualifying - Results

MotoGP qualifying times : -

Pos.	Rider	Team	Time	Speed	Gap
1	Jorge Lorenzo	Fiat Yamaha Team	1'38.189	162.17
2	Dani Pedrosa	Repsol Honda Team	1'38.789	161.18	0.6
3	Colin Edwards	Tech 3 Yamaha	1'38.954	160.91	0.765
4	Nicky Hayden	Repsol Honda Team	1'39.061	160.74	0.872
5	Valentino Rossi	Fiat Yamaha Team	1'39.064	160.73	0.875
6	Randy De Puniet	LCR Honda	1'39.122	160.64	0.933
7	Casey Stoner	Ducati Marlboro Team	1'39.28! 6	160.37	1.097
8	James Toseland	Tech 3 Yamaha	1'39.334	160.3	1.145
9	John Hopkins	Kawasaki Racing Team	1'39.439	160.13	1.25
10	Loris Capirossi	Rizla Suzuki MotoGP	1'39.484	160.05	1.295
11	Shinya Nakano	Team San Carlo Honda Gresini	1'39.559	159.93	1.37
12	Chris Vermeulen	Rizla Suzuki MotoGP	1'39.704	159.7	1.515
13	Andrea Dovizioso	JiR Team Scot	1'39.767	159.6	1.578
14	Alex De Angelis	Team San Carlo Honda Gresini	1'40.037	159.17	1.848
15	Anthony West	Kawasaki Racing Team	1'! 40.088	159.09	1.899
16	T oni Elias	Alice Team	1'40.286	158.77	2.097
17	Sylvain Guintoli	Alice Team	1'40.939	157.75	2.75
18	Marco Melandri	Ducati Marlboro Team	1'41.027	157.61	2.838

Charl looking quick!

Charl Langeveldt was at the Nashua Cape Cobras net session on Monday, and was looking very sharp, as he sent down some quick ones to Herschelle.

Pic By Jeff Ayliffe

Ollie won't Run out for the Stormers

The Stormers have rubbished morning newspaper reports that Ollie le Roux will play for them this season.

Commercial manager for the Cape outfit, Frikkie Erasmus, says he doesn't know where the papers get this information and adds it's factually incorrect. Le Roux IS coming to Cape Town this week and probably will be sitting in on a few practice sessions but he won't be helping the Stormers with their ailing scrum as was reported this morning. Le Roux will be visiting his former coach and long-time friend Rassie Erasmus.

Stormers management will meet later this afternoon and will probably release a statement afterwards, explaining exactly what Le Roux's visit entails.

Ballack 'Da Bomb'

Germany reached the quarter finals after a Michael Ballack freekick gave them the 1-0 win over Austria. It was a screamer of a shot from 25 meters out, that was still rising when it crashed into the top corner of the net. That's set up the quarter final between Germany and Portugal on Thursday. In the other match, Croatia beat Poland 1-0.

Lets get ready to rumble...

Unless the weather gods unleash a joker, the stage is set for what should be a great battle at Lords tomorrow, as the opening test between South Africa and England gets under way. All the focus in the build up over the past few days has been on the Proteas pace attack, with the 'ubber-critical' media in England comparing it to that legendary West Indian attack of the 80's.

Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel and Makhaya Ntini need to ignore the praise thats being heaped on them, and focus on just hitting the spot tomorrow, whilst the batsmen do the same.

Coach Mickey Arthur was asked yesterday to compare his attack to the raw pace, hostility and remorseless accuracy of the West Indian team in their heyday, and he said it was really going to! be a treat to watch them bowl this summer. The England batsmen are quick to add however, that they are confident against pace, and as always, Kevin Peterson will be the prime target. KP must be ready to duck under a few rockets tomorrow, but then, Dale Steyn and company will also be well aware that he will severly punish any lapse in line and length. What a prospect, bring it on!

Nadal advances

Rafael Nadal is into the semi-finals of the US Open after he beat Mardy Fish 3-6, 6-1, 6-4, 6-2. He will now play Andy Murray.


It took Nadal two hours and fourty minutes to beat the American which ended at 02h10 this morning after which he thanked his fans for watching the whole game. The Spaniard said this wasn't the best conditions but some schedules are tough.

This is the first time Nadal has advanced so far in the competition and if he is to defeat his next apponent Murray he could find himself in the records books. The world number one could become the first man to win three majors in a row since Rod Laver, Pete Sampras and Roger Federer.

Nadal says he is very happy to be in the semi-finals if he tought otherwise he would be stupid!

Breakfast Headlines

Kaizer Chiefs and Sundowns are in the hunt for an 8 million rand prize when they clash in the MTN 8 final in Durban tonight. Sundowns are giving Sibusiso Zuma until the last minute to get fit. Kick-off is at quarter-past eight.

***
The English League Cup gets underway tonight with Man United taking on Middlesborough in an all Premier League tie. Cardiff face Swansea in a Wales derby and Liverpool host League One side Crewe.
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Santos believe they've got their season on track ahead of tomorrow night's Premiership clash against Swallows at Athlone stadium. Kick-off is at half past seven tomorrow night. A lot will rest on in-form striker Eleazar Rodger, who must be pushing for a place in the Bafana squad with his good performances.
***
Former Springbok prop, Eddie Andrews, believes the 'Streeptruie' will make it to Currie Cup semi-finals. Western Province face Boland at a muddy Wellington on Saturday. Andrews says the tea! m has managed to absorb the pressure of the competition...
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Mclaren's Lewis Hamilton will find out today whether his appeal against a 25 second penalty at the Belgian Grand Prix will be upheld. If it is, Hamilton will reclaim first place and take a seven point lead in the championship. The FIA's International Court of Appeal met yesterday in Paris and McLaren chief executive Martin Whitmarsh believes they've proved that no advantage was gained.
***
One of the favourites to be the next European Ryder Cup captain is cooling talk of that happening. Jose Maria Olazabel was one of Nick Faldo's vice-captains during the defeat to the USA in Kentucky. The Spaniard says he actually hopes to be involved as a player at Celtic Manor in 2010...
***
England captain Kevin Petersen believes the sport will be poorer for the loss of Darren Gough. The fast-bowler has decided he's played his last first class match and Pietersen says Gough has left his mark on! the sport...
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South Africa has reached another m! ilestone on the road to the 2010 FIFA World Cup with the launch of the official mascot. He's a young leopard called 'Zakumi'. The name Zakumi is a composition of ZA, which is the lettering denoting South Africa and "Kumi", which means 10 in various languages across the country.

No Extended T20's on the Cards... Yet

I sometimes wonder where journalists get their information from, especially when the authorities at the centre of the story don't have a clue about what's going on. That was my experience this morning when following up the proposed double innings Twenty20 competition story.

The article is very vague in it's description about what this competition entails, merely saying it will be like test cricket... T20 STYLE!

Apparently the top brass of Cricket South Africa were going to meet in Johannesburg today to approve the proposal. But a quick call to CEO Gerald Majola proved that not only will it not be on the agenda, they haven't even heard of the proposal.

Our call to Tournament Director of next year's T20 World Cup in England and former Proteas bowler, Steve Elworthy, was a lot more fruitful shed some light on the competition and how it would possibly work. Elworthy says an extended version of Twenty20 cricket has been disc! ussed in corridors but that nothing is official yet.

"We've had many a workshop and brainstormed ideas and certainly I've heard mention of possible double innings' whether it be in twenty over or forty over cricket... "

Elworthy says one team is likely to bat for 20 overs before the opposing team bats for their alloted 20 overs. After that Team A will bat again and so then Team B as well.

Personally, I see nothing wrong with the current format of Twenty20 cricket. I think it's fun and exciting to watch and it looks like the players enjoy it too. Three hours, in and out. That's what makes T20 so good to watch. For people to start looking for ways to lengthen the game will just take away from the appeal and fun of the current format.

Proteas get a taste of the Mace

Proteas skipper Graeme Smith got his hands on the ICC's Test Championship Mace at the Wanderers on Tuesday.

The mace is held by the number ranked team in the world, which has been the Australians for many, many years.

It was returned to the ICC earlier this month after the Proteas won a test series in Australia and is now in South Africa for the return series.

The Proteas are favourites to win the series and become the number one test team in the world.

The first test at the Wanderers starts on Thursday.

View from the Pitlane with Brian Sims

It's becoming serious! Anyone who thinks that Ferrari, Renault and co are bluffing when they say that they will pull out of Formula 1 had better think again. The fact that Ferrari was prepared to go to court, albeit unsuccessfully, to try to secure an injunction against the FIA's cost-capping measures, provides strong evidence of the company's intention not to compete with a two-tier system in 2010.

It's worth considering the consequences of the FIA and the manufacturer-led teams falling out. The teams seem to be led by Ferrari, which is quite ironic in a way, because when the proposed breakaway of the teams nearly took place some 2 years ago, as was looking likely to happen, it was Ferrari who sided with the FIA and effectively prevented that breakaway coming about. What Luca di Montezemelo, the Ferrari President, is now saying is that 2 of the main concerns that he has are:

1: That even if the team wanted to meet the £40 million ca! p next season, it would be an
impossibility from a timing point of view. This would result in them being totally
uncompetitive in 2010 (or should we say even more so than they have been so far this
year !). Bear in mind that reputation matters far more to an auto manufacturer, who is
in F1 primarily to sell more cars, than it does to a straightforward racing team with no
manufacturer link

2: That to race against what are effectively expanded GP2 teams, such as Addax, RML,
Campos and some of the other new teams that would be competing under different rules
to the uncapped teams, is unacceptable to Ferrari, as it would be to Toyota, Mercedes
and Renault.

One has to remember that Formula 1 has always been about a combination of amazing, innovative technological advances and what are supposed to be best drivers in the world. Over the years, the minds of F1 engineers and designers! have been stretched to a tremendous extent, resulting in a hi! gh techn ology industry that is involved in a massive amount of technology transfer with sectors such as the aerospace and marine industries. If F1 becomes nothing more than a jumped up GP2 series, which is what is likely to happen, what will happen to all of those engineers and designers? Where will the next generation come from to get their experience?

Do we really want to see a Formula 1 World Championship devoid of the likes of Ferrari and Renault? Do we want to see a two-tier system of racing? If your answer is yes, then ask yourself why is it that a mere handful of people tune in to watch the GP2 race that precedes the Grand Prix, as opposed to the hundreds of millions that watch each Grand Prix. After all, GP2 is so much cheaper to run than F1. Is an F1 series without Ferrari credible? Is tradition important? You tell me!

F1 as we know it might be extravagant and of course there do need to be curbs on some of the expenditure, but F1 should surely be about! the best engineers, the best technicians, the best designers and the best drivers. It showbiz! It's razz matazz. It lightens our lives on a Sunday afternoon. Yes, we need to recognize that we're in tough times, but isn't that just when we need some larger than life excitement and glamour.

Or am I just old retired racing driver clamouring for the good old days! Who knows? Anyway, I'm off to finish my cocoa before having an early night!

Chinese Grand Prix: Hamilton on pole

Lewis Hamilton looks to all but clinch the World Championship by sticking his McLaren Mercedes on pole position for the Chinese Grand Prix. He is followed by the Ferraris of re-surging Kimi Raikkonen and title rival Felipe Massa. Renault's Fernando Alonso continues the team's good form and qualifies 4th.

This is how the points of interest are shaping up for the race:

1. Alonso and Renault: Alonso starts 4th and sounds confident for a strong race. It will be curious to see how much fuel Alonso is carrying as he is 6 tenths slower than Hamilton in Q3; although the Q2 difference is comparable. Nelson Piquet failed to deliver on his practice form but this is familiar starting territory for the Brazilian. So, his starting slot and car performance can easily have him in the points. With Head of Engine Track Operations, Denis Chevrier confirming Renault's performance from Fuji, prospects look very good. Maybe not a win, but Alonso over his career has had a kna! ck of putting himself into a position to benefit from other drivers' errors.

2. Kubica. He may have ended his World Championship bid by having a poor qualifying session by starting 12th. A critical set-up change backfired. "I was struggling with the balance of the car all weekend. We made some changes before qualifying, but they had a negative effect. The car was difficult to drive and I couldn't push as I wanted. I expect a tough race because now we are not allowed to change the set-up." However, we saw Alonso all but quit on his chances in Singapore after a qualifying disaster and came back to win the race with some good fortune. Kubica will need to rely on good fortune for the race.

3. Kovalainen. Heikki starts 5th. Expect him to finish 5th or 6th. He seems happy with the performance but the race will judge. I will not except Kovalainen to take points from Ferrari this weekend. However, it is very important the Kovalainen do something drastic as the Co! nstructor's title might slip through the fingers of McLaren.

4. Race Stewards. They have reared their heads by giving Heidfeld a 3 grid-place penalty for impeding Red Bull's David Coulthard in qualifying. It is interesting that earlier in the weekend Nick Heidfeld made comments regarding the current situation with race stewards, "the consistency (steward decisions) was a lot better last year, and it is easier than if there are just some guys who are coming to a few races. They don't have the insight compared to a guy who is always there." We will see if the stewards have an impact at the front of the grid.

Steven Gerrard: Liverpool FC Must Dig Deep To Rebuild Title Challenge

Steven Gerrard admits Liverpool will have to dig deep as they aim to resurrect their championship challenge.

The 2-0 loss at Chelsea on Sunday was already a third defeat of the Premier League season for Rafael Benitez's side, compared to two during the entire previous campaign.

It has left Liverpool six points adrift of the Londoners and outside the Champions League qualification places, and came just days after the dismal 2-0 reverse at Fiorentina.

And while Gerrard has warned their t! itle rivals the Anfield outfit have plenty of room for improvement, he accepts Liverpool must gain the momentum of another winning run quickly.

"There is so much more to come from us and a hell of a lot of football still to play between now and May, and we're up for the challenges that lie ahead," said the skipper.

"It will come down to who wants it the most and who is prepared to dig deepest.

"When the manager demands a reaction from us he gets it, and that's going to come in the games between now and the next Champions League match too.

"Momentum is vitally important in football. When you start to win consistently and go onto the pitch expecting to, it all becomes easier."

Gerrard is six games short of reaching a landmark 500 appearances for Liverpool, but believes that, thanks for the constant badgering of Anfield manager Benitez, he can still become a better player.

"You cannot ever think that you can't i! mprove," said the 29-year-old. "No-one at Liverpool will ever ! be allow ed to think that way because it's not the way the manager operates.

"You might have played well – a defender keeping a clean sheet, a midfielder with a couple of assists or a striker with a hat-trick – but the manager will always find room for improvement.

"There's no relaxing under Rafa because he sets his standards so high. That's the Liverpool way and talking to players from previous eras, that's the same message they used to get to. You can always do better – collectively and as individuals. If you think you're on top of your game you can still improve. That's what we get drummed into us every single day and it really does help."

Rafa Eyes Gerrard Impact

Rafa Benitez believes the return of Steven Gerrard from injury can inspire Liverpool to turn around their recent poor form.

The Reds captain missed the 1-0 defeat to Sunderland at the weekend, along with Fernando Torres, with a groin injury but trained on Monday ahead of the UEFA Champions League clash with Lyon.

Liverpool have seen their form dip alarmingly over the last few weeks, with the defeat at the Stadium of Light their third successive loss and their fourth in the Premier League overall.

However, Benitez is hoping the return of Gerrard will give the team a much needed lift at a crucial stage of! the season, with rivals Manchester United visiting Anfield on Sunday.

"With Steven around, it has an effect on the other players. He is an inspiration to them," he said.

"Steven is a winner with the right mentality. But we have to see these players on the pitch, they cannot win games when they are injured.

"The team knows we are not playing at the right level, but they also know that we are good enough.

"They know we must start playing again at that level, their response in training has been positive and we must repeat that on the pitch. One good result will change everything.

"It is important to have Steven back, we have had some problems with injuries right from the start of the season so it is a big boost for us to have him back.

"Torres is not ready so we will have to wait a little bit longer but hopefully he will be okay for the weekend against Manchester United.

"The problems we have had thi! s season have been too many to solve. We have had problems wit! h our ce ntre-backs, then there was Gerrard unfit and now we also have forwards out."

The fact that Liverpool saw Darren Bent's effort on Saturday crucially divert off a beach ball, which was ironically bought at the club's megastore, sums up the Reds' season so far but Benitez is confident his side will soon turn the corner.

"We have virtually the same group of players as we had last season and that ended up with us finishing second," he added.

"We need confidence and some wins, there is no need to start worrying. I believe we are strong enough to compete just as we did last season.

"These players have the quality, they need to play one or two good games and everything will improve.

"It is not the end of the world, it is a bad position but we will come back and start fighting again."

Emiliano Insua Calls For More Clean Sheets

Emiliano Insua today predicted Liverpool's defenders are ready to rediscover their miserly ways – as Steven Gerrard geared up for a return to action.

Having been restricted to just 25 minutes of action in the past three weeks due to a groin problem, Gerrard is poised to slot back into the Reds' midfield at Fulham on Saturday.

This game has been the captain's target ever since he limped off during the Champions League defeat against Lyon 10 days ago and, should he pass a late fitness test, will give Liverpool a major boost.

Rafa Benitez's side got their campaign back on track with an impressive win against Manchester United last weekend and Gerrard's presence in the starting line-up at Craven Cottage will increase their chances of building on it.

But while Insua is delighted the skipper is up and running again, he knows the men behind can take some of the pressure off by improv! ing their clean sheet tally.

The shutout against United was only Liverpool's third in the Premier League so far and the Argentine full-back is aware that statistic needs rectifying.

"We must keep more clean sheets," said Insua, who impressed during Wednesday night's Carling Cup defeat at Arsenal. "If we do that, we will draw and win many more games.

"This is one important thing that we must improve on. The manager has told us how we need to change that (record) and we have to start now.

"We have to try and win at Fulham and then in the Champions League. We had a big win against United and we know we can do good things as a team."

Insua's spectacular first goal for the club was the high point of an encouraging display at the Emirates Stadium that suggested Liverpool are starting to turn the tide.

The catalyst, undoubtedly, was the vibrant display against United but like so many of his colleagues, Insua knows i! t will stand for little if they don't follow up at Craven Cott! age.

While performances in the past seven days have been encouraging, their predicament is still delicately poised, particularly with fixtures against Fulham and Lyon to come.

But Insua says toppling United has done wonders for confidence – now it is a question of making sure standards do not drop.

"The game against United was key for us because we had lost four games in a row and we were desperate to win," said Insua.

"We managed to do that and now we have to make sure we keep going this way, both in the Premier League and the Champions League.

"We will see what happens in later on in the season but we must make sure we build on last week's win. We never doubted ourselves and always believed we could do it.

"This is more or less the same team that played so well last season but we can't relax because if we do that, we might lose more games."

Girl with Nose Sharp and Eye which Sexy

Named is Yuko Ogura. Model girl from Japan. With sexy red bikini Yuko seen adult and fascinates.

Beautiful Young Girl - Anna Kournikova

Young Sexy World, former women's tennis players of the world, who now move into artist model photos.

Picotte fastest in Florida

From cdnsuperbike.com

JENNINGS, FL -- Pascal Picotte topped the first day of official pre-season testing for the Parts Canada Superbike Championship Monday at Jennings GP in North Florida after setting the fastest lap during the afternoon's session.

Picotte lapped his Picotte Performance 2005 Yamaha YZF-R6 at one minute, 17.483 seconds around the smooth 2.0-mile circuit. Picotte concentrated on his pair of 600cc Hindle Sport Bike class machines and plans to work on his R1 Superbikes on Tuesday during the second day of the Jennings test session.

Second fastest On Monday was Frank Trombino with a best lap of 1:17.929. Trombino set his top time during the afternoon while also riding his Yamaha R6; during the morning sessions, Trombino was quickest.

DXS Diablo Performance rider Francis Martin, 1999 Parts Canada Superbike champion was third quickest after setting a 1:18.293 on his 2005 Suzuki G! SX-R1000. The Jennings GP test marked Martin's first run on the all-new Gixxer.

Martin's Diablo teammate Steve Crevier picked up fourth quickest on a street stock Honda CBR1000RR with a 1:18.778 lap. Recently signed to return to Honda, the manufacturer he took the 2000 and 2001 Superbike crowns with, Crevier was still using the stock exhaust system. During the afternoon, the Diablo squad swapped the stock shock on the big CBR for an Elka aftermarket item.

With track temperature at 118 degrees F, the testing conditions represented the upper end of the extremes associated with Canadian venues.

Canadian Kawasaki's returning Tom Kipp and team veteran Matt McBride worked through chassis set-up with the new ZX-6RR, earning third and fourth quickest 600 class times.

Monday times from Jennings GP testing:
Pos Name Bike Time
1 Pascal Picotte Yam! aha YZF-R6 1:17.483
2 Frank T! rombino Yamaha YZF-R6 1:17.929
3 Francis Martin Suzuki GSX-R1000 1:18.293
4 Steve Crevier Honda CBR1000RR 1:18.778
5 Tom Kipp Kawasaki ZX-6RR 1:18.862
6 Matt McBride Kawasaki ZX-6RR 1:18.939
7 Tom Kipp Kawasaki ZX-10R 1:19.468
8 Frank Trombino Yamaha YZF-R1 1:19.608
9 Matt McBride Kawasaki ZX-10R 1:19.936
10 Andrew Nelson Honda CBR600RR 1:20.404
11 Rudy Raposo Kawasaki ZX-10R 1:21.655

Inside Motorcycles // www.insidemotorcycles.com

Zemke takes '200' win

By John Hopkins

American Honda's Jake Zemke claimed his first Daytona 200 at Daytona International Speedway on Saturday.

Riding a CBR600RR, the Californian took over the lead on lap 44 of 68 when teammate Miguel Duhamel highsided in turn 1. Duhamel was leading by 12 seconds when he went down and looked set to claim his second straight victory in the event.

Instead, Zemke survived a late pace car period and a charge from Josh Hayes to claim the victory. Hayes settled for second aboard his Erion Honda CBR600RR and Jason DiSalvo completed the podium riding a factory Yamaha YZF-R6.

"It seemed like I kept getting all the lappers through the infield and I could see Miguel and he was getting them all down the front straightaway and on the banking in [turns] 3 and 4," Zemke said. "I could see him just inching away from me, and man, that's a frustrating feeling. But I've ridden a couple of these ra! ces and I know they're really long races and you've just got to keep your head down. Anything can happen.

"I'm not sure what happened with Miguel, but I saw him down, scrambling to get his bike back up. At that point I knew I was in the lead and we had about 10 seconds. After the last pitstop we had about 16 seconds. We were pretty comfortable until the pace car came out."

Duhamel managed to rejoin and finished fifth, just behind Eric Bostrom's Yamaha. Aaron Gobert finished sixth on the second Erion CBR600RR.

Oliver Jervis of Victoria was the second highest Canadian finisher in 18th on his Zlock Kawasaki ZX-6RR. Bill Card was classified 51st with 43 laps completed on a Yamaha YZF-R6, Steve Crevier lasted only 14 laps on the Picotte Racing Buell XBRR, and Jean-Paul Tache was a DNF riding a Kawasaki ZX-6RR. Pascal Picotte was a non-starter.

In other Daytona action, defending Superbike champion Mat Mladin drafted by Yoshimura Suzuki ! teammate Ben Spies at the line to win the season opener by 0.0! 32 secs.

Duhamel came out on top of a five-rider battle to claim the final podium spot on his Honda CBR1000RR. He was followed home by Parts Unlimited Ducati's Neil Hodgson and the Kawasaki ZX-10R of Tommy Hayden.

The third place battle had included Roger Lee Hayden on the second Kawi and Duhamel's teammate Zemke, but the younger Hayden suffered a highside which forced Zemke off the track.

Inside Motorcycles // www.insidemotorcycles.com

Why Protecting Carson is Key to Bengals Draft

Willie Anderson, Eric Steinbach, Rich Braham, Bobbie Williams, and Levi Jones. This was the O-Line that led the Cincinnati Bengals to there last playoff appearance. In 2005 the Bengals had one of the best O-Lines in the NFL and now…. well no words can explain how the tides have turned. The Bengals franchise player has been getting pressured more than ever and the only way you'll have a healthy Carson Palmer for an entire season is to surround him with big, high-caliber bodies on the line.

The Bengals have picked the following offensive lineman in the first two rounds of there draft since 1996:

1996: Willie Anderson (10)
2002: Levi Jones (10)
2003: Eric Steinbach (33)
2006: Andrew Whitworth (55)

Three of these four guys have played in the Pro Bowl and the other will someday get there. Looking at all the busts the Bengals have had in the past this position seems to be the most solid and overall the safest. This is how the Be! ngals O-Line would look if they use there first two picks on the line:

LT: Levi Jones, Anthony Collins
LG: Andrew Whitworth
C: Alex Mack/Eric Wood/Max Unger
RG: Bobbie Williams
RT: Eugene Monroe/Andre Smith, Anthony Collins

Yes, this looks much better. The Bengals do have more holes to fill but the team needs to learn from past experiences and not draft a RB or WR in the first two rounds. Yes, the defense does need to get better and we could use another linebacker but fill this need with one of your 3rd round picks. Hopefully the Bengals are smart and learn in order to win football games you need to protect your franchise player and you need to open up holes for your running back.

Bengals Training Camp Report

I was going through some different online sources to prepare an assesment of the Bengals training camp when I came across John Thornton on his All Pro Blogger. This is the best recap I have found, he brings a very unique perspective as a former player and obviously very familiar with this team. Check it out.

http://www.allproblogger.com/2009/08/02/views-from-bengals-training-camp/

Survival Football Results

Ouch Philly, ouch. A lot was lost today. Categories are pretty even.

Adam
Team- Philadelphia (lost)
Passer- Aaron Rodgers (358 Yards)
Reciever- Hines Ward (1 TD)

Redleg2420
Team- Pittsburgh (Won)

Matt
Team- Philadelphia (Lost)
Passer- Kurt Warner (276 yards)

SHU
Team- Philadelphia
Passer- Matt Hasselbeck (112 yards)
Reciever- Randy Moss (3 TD)

Wojo
Team- Wojo did not enter a pick, however, he has already picked Denver so we will give him San Diego tonight. His only option to stay alive!

Debating the best of the 600 HR club

Last night I was watching Baseball Tonight on ESPN and happened upon a lively debate over who is the best member of the 600HR club. Between Buck Showalter's ADD and lack of ability to string together a coherent sentence and Eric "EY" Young's passionate, fiery and awkward monologue on why Barry Bonds is the best, it left thinking to myself as to whom I felt deserved the title. And so, here I go in order of rank:

1. Babe Ruth (.342/714/2217 over 22 seasons)

Imagine for a moment that Tiger Woods and John Daly spawned a child that played baseball. Enter Babe Ruth. Think about it…you have the best player of his craft during that era who also happens to be a complete rogue. Ruth is clearly one of the most accomplished hitters of all time, swatting 2,873 hits, 714 homeruns and an OBP of .474. He even stole 123 bases, never struck out more than 93 times in a season and drew 2,062 career walks.

Not bad, but it all comes into perspective when you consi! der the guy played Major League Baseball like it was high school. Over the course of five seasons he was the kid everyone buzzed about but never wanted to face. He was the Gatorade Player of the Year. The kid signed to go D-1. The kid who had hundreds of scouts lined up at his games to see him play. The first round draft pick. The "Can't Miss Kid." And finally, the best, and perhaps only, six tool player any has ever seen. He could hit for average, power, run a bit (in that era), field, throw and yes, pitch.

Ruth pitched over 133 innings in five seasons before his pitching career phased out and eventually went on a 10 year hiatus. He was 94-46 over his career with a 2.28 ERA and a filthy 1.159 WHIP. And he was an innings eater, too, especially in 1916 and 1917 when he tossed 323.2 and 326.1 IP, respectively. That's unheard of. Nowadays you're lucky to hear about guys eclipsing the 200 IP mark. He won over twenty games in each of those two season and pitched a com! bined 85 games, starting 79 of them.

You have your ! Micah Ow ings, Carlos Zambrano and Mike Hampton of old, but none of those guys hit and pitched with the regularity of Ruth. But the best part of Ruth was his Daly-like lifestyle off the field. He boozed, smoked and was a womanizer. John Goodman, the severely overweight father from "Roseanne" and the VO for the Dunkin Donuts commercials – how fitting – was chosen to play him in "The Babe." That should tell you enough. I'm still convinced that there's a video of Ruth playing sandlot ball with his buddies shirtless while polishing off the last of a 30-rack. I'm holding out hope that it will end up on YouTube soon enough.

2. Barry Bonds (.298/762/1996 over 22 seasons)

I personally don't care for Bonds as a human being as his name continues being dragged through the mud with the allegations of steroids, HGH and other performance enhancing drugs. You can argue that said drugs helped provide Bonds with longevity that his otherwise injury prone body could not have susta! ined. Perhaps that's why he played significantly more games between 2001 and 2004 than his 90's counterpart Ken Griffey, Jr. did. But that's speculation for another debate, another article and another time.

In the meantime, until proven guilty you can't deny the sheer talent and eye-popping numbers that Bonds put up, especially in the late 80's and early 90's when he was that rail-thin son of father Barry, Sr. with the Pirates and then Giants. In fact, go back and look at his statistics each year of his 22-year career. Go ahead and pick out your favorite one. It's impossible. The guy is the most prolific hitter of all-time. Bonds was a 7-time MVP, 14-time All-Star, 12-time Silver Slugger, 8-time Gold Glove winner, stole 514 career bases including 52 in 1990 and a 40/40 season in 1996. His career OBP is .444, slugging is .607 and has 2558 walks, nearly 400 more than Rickey Henderson in second.

I could go on and on, but an article doesn't do justice to ! the ridiculous numbers that Bonds put up. Go to baseballrefere! nce.com and have a look for yourself, it's stupid:

http://www.baseball-reference.com/b/bondsba01.shtml

If Bonds pitched, he'd be at the top of the list. And on top of that, he did everything to better his body while Ruth did everything to destroy. Because of that, Ruth gets the nod for being a man's man.

3. Willie Mays (.302/660/1903 over 22 seasons)

The Say Hey kid was a top shelf five-tool player. A Rookie of the Year, two-time MVP and 20-time All-Star, it's incredible to think that he missed almost 270 games due to military service. He averaged a homerun every 16.5 at-bats, and over that time could have potentially hit another 59.5 bombs which would land him 3rd all-time (I did some rough math there, but it's right). He stole 338 bases, had an OBP of .384 and scored 2,062 runs, as well.

And we all know about his defense with 12 Gold Glove awards and some memora! ble highlight reel catches to boot, including that famous over the shoulder grab running back to the wall. He had 195 career assists from the OF to go along with his defensive range.

To have done it consistently over such a long stretch of time is a testament to Mays and his ability to stay healthy. For that, he sneaks in at number three.

4. Ken Griffey, Jr. (.289/600/1730 over 20 seasons and counting)

Like everyone else on the face of the planet, I can only wish that Griffey never got hurt. For his first twelve big league seasons he was like a comic book super hero, an invincible character who could do all and never be destroyed. Some of his highlights were almost mythical, Roy Hobbes like in "The Natural." Then in his second season in Cincinnati he became mortal, and it wore on for four long seasons. I'm convinced that if healthy, Griffey would be chasing Bonds' homerun record and relieving us all of that stigma attached to it. But nonethe! less, he currently stands with some impressive numbers…
Gri ffey is a former Rookie of the Year, MVP and 13-time All-Star. He's won 7 Silver Sluggers, 4 batting titles and 10 Gold Gloves as probably the best defensive player in the 90's. His career numbers a bit diluted due to the injuries that forced him to miss substantial time, but even still he has serious presence across the board in career ranks. He has arguably the best homerun swing in the history of the game, and his numbers are a testament to that. When he hit his prime, Griffey slugged 249 bombs over a five year span ('96-'00). His 2,615 hits, 1,730 RBI, .550 Slugging and 1,575 runs scored are an impressive body of work. Again, this all while missing significant chunks of time over a six year span. And let's not forget his memorable moments in the Home Run Derby, particularly his three victories in '94, '98 and '99.

5. Hank Aaron (.305/755/2297 over 23 seasons)

Perhaps the most underappreciated member of this historic fraternity, Hank Aaron seems to a! lways be a forgotten man when discussing the most prolific players in the history of baseball. Not only did he hold baseball's most sacred hitting record for 33 years, he still stands top-5 in games, at-bats, plate appearance, runs scored, hits, total bases, home runs and RBI. That can be attributed to two things: Aaron was a hell of a player and he played for a heck of a long time. You can argue that if Griffey remained healthy throughout his entire career, he could put up career numbers that finished in the ballpark of where the likes of Bonds, Mays and Aaron stand.

But I rank Aaron 5th here because he didn't possess that defensive element in his game that could define him as a complete player like Griffey and Bonds. He took home three consecutive Gold Gloves early in his career ('58, '59, '60) but was never snagged another one in his remaining 17 years in the league. Griffey and Bonds certainly saw their defensive skills decline towards the tail ends of their ! respective careers, but sustained stud status on a longer peri! od of ti me – try an entire decade.

My other reason for ranking Aaron 5th is a detraction as much as it is an indication of his longevity in the game. The guy has ridiculous number, sure, because he was a ridiculous hitter. But lest we forget, he also sits 3rd in career games played, 2nd in career at-bats and 3rd in career plate appearances. While I'd be remiss to fault a guy for remaining healthy and productive for 23 years in major league baseball, you have to consider his career numbers are a result of his longevity just as much as his skill as a hitter. Barry Sanders ranks 3rd all-time in NFL rushing yards behind Emmitt Smith and Walter Payton. Smith played 15 seasons while Payton lasted 13. As for Barry? We all remember him hanging them up prematurely after only 10 seasons in the league. Had he stuck it out a couple more years, he would easily be the leading rusher today. You can probably make the same argument for Curtis Martin while you're at it. So while skill has ! everything to do with it, so does longevity and thus, opportunity.

6. Samuel Sosa (.273/608/1667 over 18 seasons)

Easily the ugly sister of this group, Sosa comes in with the worst batting average, lowest RBI total and will have the lowest homerun total when Griffey passes him sometime this season. Slammin' Sammy was the affable, loveable guy that everyone couldn't help but root for in '98 during his pursuit of Roger Maris with Mark McGwire. Sosa averaged 58.4 homeruns from '98 to '02 and was an RBI machine, cranking out as much as 158 in '98 and 160 in '01. He was ridiculous. But he never had much of a penchant for hitting for average or hitting to contact. It was all or nothing for Sosa, which is a large reason why he finished with such a lower career average and struck out 2,306 times, 2nd all time to Reggie Jackson.

He did swipe 234 bases, but most of those came before his inflated days in Chicago and for a guy of his hitting prowess, he! certainly didn't draw many walks. His most came in '01 when h! e drew 1 16, but over his 18 year career, he only averaged 51.6 a season. That's terribly low. Not to say that a power hitter like Sosa should have had great plate discipline, but you'd think guys would opt to pitch around due to fear. Instead, it was a matter of going right at him with fastballs. If he beats you, he beats you, but you have just as good a chance to strike him out as he does hitting a homerun.

To top it off, Sosa was more of a liability in the outfield than an alcoholic in a bar. Quite possibly one of the worst outfielders I've ever seen, playing in the National League was the only reason he didn't DH. Fans loved cheering him when he ran out to right, but that was probably the only way he could receive applause out there.

I don't want to sound like I'm entirely bashing Sosa here. He was one of the most feared hitters in baseball for almost a decade. But let's face it, he was a power hitter only and not anywhere near the complete hitter, or player! that any of these other men were. He was a seven time All-Star and completely adored by fans, but much like Bonds, the aura of steroids and performance enhancing drugs will forever linger and most likely resonate when discussion of Sosa and baseball transpire.

So that does it. If I was drafting these legendary members of the 600 HR club, above is how I'd expect them to fly off the board. While ranking certainly exemplify preference and opinion of superiority, I think John Kruk had it right last night when he said, "Let's face it, whether you're drafting 1st or 6th, you're getting a hell of a ball player."

Hope you enjoyed, and I'd love to hear your thoughts on where each of these great players stands amongst one another.

-Bess

Brutal white boy dunk

And this is one reason why there shouldn't be this many postseason tournaments in college basketball. Don't get me wrong, I'm as excited as any proud Husky alum that Northeastern captured it's first postseason win in school history last night. But it came at the expense of the Wyoming Cowboys (my apologies to Keefe's dad, a proud Cowboy alum), and also bore witness to one of the most horrific, comedic dunks in basketball history. Adam Waddell stole a pass on the defensive end and took it coast to coast. Understandably, he was pretty jacked up, whether it was the fact that he stole the ball and had the whole floor wide open or that he was able to rise up that high and throw it down. But he held onto the rim too long, and with his momentum carrying the rest of his body forward, he swung like a pendulum and then flipped (acrobatically?) to the floor. Not sure what they gave him for a score, but check it out below, this guy is lucky he isn't paralyzed in a hospital bed somewhere! right now:



-Bess

SNL Digital Short; On the Ground

I tried just putting the video in the blog, but it came up really small. So just click the link on Andy Samberg's latest creation. From the guy who brought you D in a Box, I'm on a Boat, Mother Lover, & I Jizz in My Pants to name a few. Here is "On the Ground."

http://www.hulu.com/watch/99944/saturday-night-live-digital-short-on-the-ground

-Keefe

Monaco sets up Montanes final

Juan Monaco will face Albert Montanes in the final at the BCR Open Romania in Bucharest.

The pair came through the semi-finals in contrasting fashions, with third seed Monaco easing past Simon Greul 6-4 6-3 to reach his third ATP Tour final of the year.

Spaniard Montanes, though, had a much tougher time against compatriot Santiago Ventura, dropping the first set before hitting back to beat the qualifier 4-6 6-4 6-1.

Monaco, ranked 37 in the world, has lost h! is last four finals and he is hoping for a change of fortune in the Romanian capital.

"It will be my third final of the year and I hope that it will be the lucky one," he told www.atpworldtour.com. "In Argentina we say the third one is the lucky one so we'll see what happens."

Fifth seed Montanes, who was a beaten finalist in Bucharest in 2001, won the only previous meeting between the pair in Chile three years ago.

Europa League Thursday Review

There were wins for Fulham, Everton, Valencia, Hamburg and Lazio. Celtic and Rapid Vienna drew 1-1 in the latest round of the Europa League on Thursday.

Lazio posted a dazzling 4-0 victory at Levski Sofia for their first win in Europa League Group G.

Beaten by Red Bull Salzburg in their opening pool game and struggling in Serie A, the Italian side produced a much-improved play against a toothless Levski at the Georgi Asparuchov Stadium.

After a tight start, Matuzalem opened the scoring midway through the first half before Mauro Zarate added the second on the stroke of half-time.

Second-half goals from Mourad Meghni and Tommaso Rocchi crowned a fine win for the Rome outfit.

In the same pool, Salzburg's dream start to the competition continued tonight as they claimed the prized scalp of Villarreal with a 2-0 home win thanks to goals in either half from Marc Janko and Somen Tchoyi.

Everton shrugged off the loss of 10 first-team players to record a superb 2-1 victory at BATE Borisov in Group I thanks to Tim Cahill's goal 13 minutes from time.

In the process, David Moyes' side have taken a massive step towards securing a place in the next s! tage after their second successive group win.

Cahill ca! pped a b rilliant comeback after Marouane Fellaini had cancelled out Dmitri Likhtarovich's opener to haul the Toffees level in the 68th minute.

AEK Athens bounced back from their thrashing at the hands of Everton a fortnight ago as they edged out Benfica 1-0 in the Greek capital tonight. Daniel Majstorovic's strike two minutes before the break was the difference.

Werder Bremen moved three points clear at the top of Group L after seeing off Athletic Bilbao 3-1 despite losing Peter Niemeyer to a red card just five minutes after he appeared as a second-half substitute.

The German side led 2-0 at the break thanks to a brilliant volley from Aaron Hunt and a well-worked effort from defender Naldo, and although Fernando Llorente pulled a late goal back for Athletic, it was not enough for the visitors and they conceded a third almost immediately when Torsten Frings slotted home from the penalty spot.

Austria Vienna had to settle for a point in their Group L clash ! with Portuguese side Nacional.

Milenko Acimovic missed a penalty 10 minutes into the game for the hosts and Ruben Micael gave the Madeirans the lead after 35 minutes. An away win looked on the cards until Brazil-born Schumacher tied the game in the 76th minute.

Last season's UEFA Cup champions Shakhtar Donetsk took control of Group J with a 4-1 victory over Partizan Belgrade.

Two goals in each half, with Luiz Adriano, Jadson and Yaroslav Rakitskiy adding to Marko Lomic's 24th-minute own-goal, ensured victory before a late consolation from Adem Ljajic.

Also in the pool, Ivan Perisic's stoppage-time equaliser gave Club Brugge a 2-2 draw at Toulouse.

Joseph Akpala put the Belgian side ahead seven minutes into the second half but their lead lasted just two minutes before Moussa Sissoko celebrated getting his second France call-up today with the equaliser.

It looked as though Andre-Pierre Gignac's 84th-minute goal would hand all three po! ints to Toulouse but Perisic levelled in the dying seconds.

Sen egalese striker Dame Ndoye's first-half goal proved the difference as FC Copenhagen recorded a 1-0 home win over Sparta Prague in Group K.

Otman Bakkal's first-half header was enough for PSV Eindhoven to claim their opening win of this year's competition at home to CFR Cluj in the same pool.

In Group H, Alex scored the only goal as Fenerbahce bounced back from their opening Europa League defeat to FC Twente with a 1-0 win at Sheriff Tiraspol in a low-key encounter.

Steve McClaren's Twente, meanwhile, were held to a disappointing goalless home draw by Steaua Bucharest.

There were goals aplenty in Group B as Valencia edged Genoa 3-2 and Lille romped to a 5-1 win at Slavia Prague.

Los Che fell behind to a Sergio Floccari, but stormed out of the blocks in the second half and quickfire goals from David Silva and Nikola Zigic put them in front.

Houssine Kharja drew the Italian side level from the penalty spot but the match was finally sett! led when David Villa was tripped in the box with 10 minutes left and applied the finish from 12 yards.

Lille also came from behind to thrash Slavia.

Tjani Belaid's early penalty had the French side on the back foot, but they were back on level terms when Marek Suchy turned the ball into his own net early in the second half.

Pierre Alain-Frau then put them ahead with 20 minutes to go before the floodgates opened in the dying stages. Gervinho got the third with five minutes to go and Arnaud Souquet added another before Gervinho grabbed the fifth.

Claudio Ranieri got the result he was after from his Roma players after they ended a run of disappointing results with a 2-0 victory over CSKA Sofia in Group E.

The win was secured with two goals in three first-half minutes from Stefano Okaka Chuka and Simone Perrotta.

In the same pool, Danny Murphy's 57th-minute winner saw Fulham sink Basle to halt their three-match losing streak and surge t! o the top of the standings.

Jonathan Legear's late equa! liser ma intained Anderlecht's unbeaten start to Group A and denied Martin Jol's Ajax their first pool win this evening.

The game at the Constant Vanden Stock Stadion had looked to be heading for a goalless draw until substitute Dennis Rommedahl broke the deadlock 18 minutes from time.

Jelle Van Damme was dismissed in the 82nd minute, but the hosts made light of their man disadvantage and nicked a 1-1 draw through Legear four minutes later.

Anderlecht remained top of the pool, a point clear of Dinamo Zagreb who were 3-0 winners at FC Timisoara.

Milan Badelj was the star of the show, scoring the first goal and laying on the other two for Jorge Sammir and Pedro Morales.

In Group C, Hamburg got their campaign up and running with a 4-2 win over Hapoel Tel Aviv.

Two goals in the first 12 minutes from Marcus Berg had them in control but substitute Itay Shechter pulled the Israeli side back into the game.

Eljero Elia made it 3-1 only for Samu! el Yeboah to reduce the deficit again. Ze Roberto missed a penalty for the German side just before the midway point in the second half - but then found the target to make sure of the victory.

Celtic, meanwhile, were held 1-1 by old foes Rapid Vienna at Parkhead.

The home side were shocked to lose a goal to Nikica Jelavic after only three minutes but recovered to level in the 20th minute through Scott McDonald.

Panathinaikos midfielder Giorgos Karagounis decided an underwhelming Group F match against Dinamo Bucharest with a late strike in front of an empty Stadion Dinamo.

Dinamo had been ordered to play the match behind closed doors after the crowd trouble that forced the abandonment of their play-off against Liberec earlier in the competition.

Also in Group F, Sturm Graz fought hard to hold favourites Galatasaray to a 1-1 draw in Turkey.

Daniel Beichler gave the Austrians the lead in first-half stoppage-time but Frank Rijkaard's Gal! a levelled through Milan Baros in the 63rd minute.

In G! roup D, a superb second-half rearguard earned Latvian champions FK Ventspils a point at home to Heerenveen.

Sporting Lisbon's Adrien Silva had an eventful evening, scoring the game's only goal in the 19th minute and then being sent off in stoppage time against Hertha Berlin.

Europa League Overview

Group A
RSC Anderlecht 1-1 AFC Ajax
Click here for match report

FC Timisoara 0-3 NK Dinamo Zagreb
Click here for match report

Group B
SK Slavia Praha 1-5 LOSC Lille
Click here for match! report

Valencia CF 3-2 Genoa CFC
Click here for match report

Group C
Hamburg 4-2 Hapoel Tel-Aviv
Click here for match report

Celtic FC 1-1 SK Rapid Wien
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Reactions: Mowbray admits frustrations

Group D
Sporting Clube de Portugal 1-0 Hertha Berlin
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FK Ventspils 0-0 SC Heerenveen
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Group E
AS Roma 2-0 PFC CSKA Sofia
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Fulham FC 1-0 FC Basel 1893
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Reactions: Murphy hails important win

Group F
FC Dinamo 1948 Bucuresti 0-1 Panathinaikos FC
Clic! k here for match report

Galatasaray 1-1 SK Sturm Graz
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Group G
PFC Levski Sofia 0-4 S.S. Lazio
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FC Salzburg 2-0 Villarreal
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Reactions: Cahill dedicates winner to Samoa tsunami victims

Group H
FC Twente 0-0 FC Steaua Bucuresti
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FC Sheriff 0-1 Fenerbahce
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Group I
AEK Athens FC 1-0 SL Benfica
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FC BATE Borisov 1-2 Everton
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Group J
Toulouse FC 2-2 Club Brugge KV
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FC Shakhtar Donetsk 4-1 FK Partizan
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Group K
FC Kobenhavn 1-0 AC Sparta Praha
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PSV Eindhoven 1-0 CFR 1907 Cluj
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Group L
Werder Bremen 3-1 Athletico Bilbao
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Austria Vienna 1-1 CD Nacional
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Wickmayer lands Linz title

Third seed Yanina Wickmayer won the Generali Ladies tournament in Linz after seeing off Czech Petra Kvitova in the final.

Kvitova's serve let her down on the big occasion as, despite firing down five aces, she won only 53% of service points and allowed Wickmayer to break four times in nine attempts on her way to a 6-3 6-4 victory.

It was the Belgian's third successive win over Kvitova, who showed the after-effects of a hard-fought last-four upset of second seed Agn! ieszka Radwanska, which she took on her seventh match point.

Wickmayer and Kvitova, both 19, also clashed earlier this year at both the US Open and Estoril - where Wickmayer also won the title. Kvitova had won their first meeting, at Monzon in 2008.

Having produced her best ever result in upsetting top seed Flavia Pennetta to reach the final, Wickmayer broke twice to take the first set today.

Kvitova improved in the second set and took her only break point, but her inability to make consistent inroads on the Wickmayer serve meant the wild-card entry was again able to victory in one hour and 26 minutes.

It was the second career WTA Tour title for Wickmayer, ranked 24th in the world.

Newcastle United 2 Doncaster Rovers 1

The Championship football game between Newcastle United and Doncaster Rovers at St James's Park on Saturday Oct 24, 2009.

During his troubled time at Newcastle United, Graeme Souness said the club were only ever two games away from a crisis such are the expectations on Tyneside.

With unfortunate timing, caretaker manager Chris Hughton had one on his hands days after being offered the job full-time by owner Mike Ashley, at St James's Pa! rk on Saturday to witness a far from convincing Newcastle end a run of four games without a win and return to the top of the Championship thanks to a 90th minute winner from Kevin Nolan.

So too was would-be owner Barry Moat, whose chances of taking over the club, it seems, have receded dramatically.

And the result came as a relief to an increasingly restless support, and also Hughton, expected to be confirmed as the club's permanent manager next week.

"I thought we deserved to win on the balance of the game, and the manner of the victory showed our character," said Hughton.

Hughton was deprived of Danny Simpson and Fabricio Coloccini on the eve of the game, and it was a mistake from Tamas Kadar, on his full league debut, which led to Rovers' opening goal, the defender's clearance being intercepted and passed to Billy Sharp, who crossed for Dean Shiels to tap into the net.

Alan Shearer! 's name was chanted in the minutes which followed the strike, ! and t he mood on the terraces wasn't helped by more Doncaster pressure, though Nolan had a header stopped on the line as the half-time break neared. After Jonás Gutiérrez blazed a follow-up over the bar, a rainbow brightened the sky above a sodden St James's Park.

The outlook on the pitch, however, remained bleak, and Hughton's players left the field to boos. Carroll followed up Gutierrez's miss with another eight minutes into the second half.

Marlon Harewood, again a disappointment, was jeered off the pitch, and his replacement - Nile Ranger - was cheered, such was the desperation for something - anything - to happen. And it did.

Danny Guthrie clipped a ball into Carroll, and he atoned for his earlier miss by smashing the ball past Neil Sullivan.

However, Ryan Taylor conceded a penalty with 15 minutes left, but ex-S! underland midfielder Martin Woods missed, and the drama, typically for United, wasn't over, with Zurab Khizanishvili being dismissed for grabbing Billy Sharp - involved in a confrontation with Kadar - by the throat.

Khizanishvili could now sit out Newcastle's next three games, something of a concern for Hughton, already without his two first-choice central defenders.

Hughton said: "I wouldn't rule out an appeal - I thought their player was the aggressor."

However, that's a problem for another day, as the result was all-important for a club whose promotion bid was faltering.

Match details

Newcastle United: Harper; R Taylor, Khizanishvili, Kadar, Enrique; Guthrie, Nolan, Butt, Gutiérrez (Tozer, 87); Harewood (Ranger, 60), Carroll.
Subs: Krul, Donaldson, Geremi, Ngo Baheng, Lovenkrands.
Booked: Butt.
Sent off: Khizan! ishvili.
Doncaster Rovers: Sullivan; O'C! onnor, S hackell, Hird, Chambers; Coppinger (Hayter, 78), Gillett (Oster, 66), Fortune, Woods, Shiels; Sharp (Guy, 86). Subs: Woods, Spicer, Dumbuya, Heffernan.
Booked: Shiels, O'Connor, Sharp.
Referee: D Deadman (Cheshunt).

Chopra in charge in Singapore

Sweden's Daniel Chopra brilliantly charged into contention at the Barclays Singapore Open with a second round of six-under-par 65.

The 35-year-old produced a flawless card which included six birdies at the Sentosa Golf Club's Serapong course to hold the clubhouse lead on seven-under-par 135.

Overnight leader Ian Poulter of England was tied with Chopra on seven-under after shooting two birdies in three holes of his second round, which will resume at 7.40am on Saturd! ay following another two-hour weather disruption today.

Little-known Chan Yih-shin of Chinese Taipei, who qualified for the star-studded event on Monday, maintained his fairy-tale run by also tying for the lead after negotiating seven holes in three under. Only 61 players managed to complete round two on Friday.

Chinese ace Liang Wen-chong, the Asian Tour number one in 2007, battled into contention with a 68 to lie two back with Australia's Andrew Dodt, who also returned a 68.

Three-time Major winner Padraig Harrington of Ireland showed why he is one of the best players in the world by staying on course to make the halfway cut after an inward 32 salvaged a round of 69 for a total of 143, eight off the pace pace.

Australian Adam Scott, a two-time winner of the Barclays Singapore Open, was also on 143 after shooting a 71.

After securing three top-10s on the US PGA Tour this season where he is a two-time winner, Chopra is determined to end hi! s year on a strong note by winning Asia's richest national Ope! n, which is co-sanctioned by the Asian Tour and European Tour for the first time this week.

"This year of all my years since going to America, I feel I have under-achieved the most. This is the best I have felt about my game in a long time. It is just a matter of getting a few breaks and getting some momentum going," said Chopra.

Chopra, who is of Swedish-Indian parentage, played 27 holes today following the disruptions on the opening day and produced a wonderful ball striking display to set up his birdie chances.

"I am very happy. I started out yesterday edgy with all the delays but came out today feeling better. I am just trying to get used to the greens. I missed a few short ones. But it is getting better," he said.

Liang was delighted to move into the title hunt as his biggest career victory came at the Singapore Masters two years ago en route to becoming China's first Asian number one. His only blemishes where two bogeys on the par threes but he made! up for it with five birdies as he outscored playing partner Harrington.

"I was happy with my round today except for a couple of par threes. My body movement caused my tee shots to go to the right and it was hard to recover from there. I am swinging well overall but I have to work on my putting," said Liang, who played 26 holes today.

"I like playing in Singapore. The events here, the (former) Singapore Masters and the Barclays Singapore Open, are big events. These tournaments give me the opportunity to play against the best players in the world and I get inspired by that. It also gives me extra motivation.

"I believe I have the right frame of mind to cope with being one of the top Asians in the field this week."

With his parents leading the cheering squad, Dodt, playing in his second season in Asia, rose to the occasion in style. He double bogeyed his third but came back strongly with four birdies on the bounce from the fifth hole to end the day! two back.

"I wasn't trying to look at the leaderboard ! too much and wanted to play it one shot at a time and I managed that pretty well. I holed a lot of putts so far. I guess you start to belong more out there and if you have a few good results, people start to take notice a bit more. I'm just here to let my clubs do the talking," he added.

American world number two Phil Mickelson could only manage to play four holes of his second round when play was suspended at 6.37pm. He dropped one shot to fall back to one-under for the championship.

Three-time Major winner Ernie Els of South Africa was even par through three holes to remain on four-under.

Leading second round scores

135 - Daniel Chopra (SWE) 70-65

137 - Andrew Dodt (AUS) 69-68, Liang Wen-chong (CHN) 69-68

138 - Scott Hend (AUS) 72-66, Gaganjeet Bhullar (IND) 71-67, Ross McGowan (ENG) 69-69

139 - Richard Finch (ENG) 71-68

140 - Charl Schwartzel (RSA) 72-68, James Kingston (RSA) 74-66, Chapchai Nirat (THA) 73-6! 7

141 - Felipe Aguilar (CHI) 68-73, Rodney Pampling (AUS) 72-69, Richard Green (AUS) 68-73, Tony Carolan (AUS) 74-67, Daniel Vancsik (ARG) 70-71

142 - Tano Goya (ARG) 74-68, Darren Clarke (NIR) 73-69, Oskar Henningsson (SWE) 69-73, Soren Hansen (DEN) 71-71

143 - Zaw Moe (MYN) 71-72, Guido Van Der Valk (NED) 72-71, Padraig Harrington (IRL) 74-69, Thaworn Wiratchant (THA) 71-72, Christian Cevaer (FRA) 71-72, Adam Scott (AUS) 72-71, Steve Webster (ENG) 71-72, Kenneth Ferrie (ENG) 71-72

Note: 61 players completed the second round, with 91 players to resume their rounds at 7.40am on Saturday. Round three will not start earlier than 1pm.

FIFA RANKING 12-2007

THE TOP FOOTBALL COUNTRIES 12-2007

1. Argentina ---- Score ---- 1523 ----

2. Brazil -------- Score ---- 1502 ----

3. Italy --------- Score ---- 1498 ----

4. Spain -------- Score ---- ! 1349 ----

5. Germany ---- Score ---- 1298 ----

6. Chzech Republic ---- Score ---- 1290 ----

7. France ------- Score ---- 1243 ------

!

8. Belgium ------ Score ---- 1241 -----

9. Nether Land ------ Score ---- 1170 ----

10. Croatia ------ Score ----- 1129 -----

Torino, la Figc apre fascicolo su Bianchi

fonte: Corriere dello Sport

La Procura federale sta valutando, ai fini dell'accertamento delle responsabilità, l'episodio del quale si è reso protagonista l'attaccante del Torino Rolando Bianchi che dopo aver segnato il gol del pareggio nel match di Serie B Torino-Ancona, giocato lunedì scorso, ha scavalcato la balaustra attorno al terreno di gioco per affrontare un tifoso che lo aveva insultato.
L'apertura di un fascicolo potrebbe portare, come primo atto del procuratore federale, all'interrogatorio di! Bianchi che verrebbe chiamato a spiegare il suo comportamento.

Giudice sportivo, mano pesante con Cittadella e Sassuolo

Di Marco Fundoni

Fonte:goalcity.com

Tre giornate di squalifica al veneto Dalla Bona e all'emiliano Polenghi per ingiurie ai direttori di gara. 10mila euro di multa al Cesena.

Mano pesante del giudice sportivo nei confronti di Dalla Bona (Cittadella) e Polenghi (Sassuolo), ! i cui reiterati insulti ai rispettivi direttori di gara coster! anno tre giornate di squalifica. Fermati per una giornata Legati e Galardo (Crotone), Gorzegno (Sassuolo), Kyriazis (Salernitana), Perico (AlbinoLeffe), Cherubin (Cittadella) e Rickler (Modena). Tra le ammende per le societa', spiccano i 10.000 euro comminati al Cesena.

Bari: Bonucci e Ranocchia fanno gola a molti

di Tiziana Garofalo

Ad inizio stagione nessuno avrebbe scommesso su di loro. Nessuno apparte il Bari che su di loro ha puntato eccome. Alla vigilia della gara contro l'Inter, prima giornata di campionato, Ventura disse: "Voglio schierare la difesa più giovane del campionato". E così fece il tecnico dando fiducia a Ranocchia e Bonucci (nella foto, fonte RealSports.it). Da quel momento sono diventati titolari di una difesa che ha beccato solo 4 gol. Certo merito anche di una diga di centrocampo formata prima da Gazzi e De Vezze ora sempre da Gazzi! ma con Donati. Ranocchia e Bonucci insieme solo da qualche mese hanno già un'intesa perfetta e non a caso i due in momenti diversi hanno dichiarato di come alle volte, in campo, non ci sia nemmeno bisogno di parlare.

Due gioielli insomma, coltivati che stanno dando i loro frutti. E si sa quando qualcuno di giovane riesce a mettersi in mostra, gli occhi delle grandi precipitano dalle orbite. Bonucci e Ranocchia diventeranno presto (ma forse lo sono già diventati) pezzi ambiti. Si è parlato di Arsenal, Juventus, Inter, tutte squadre blasonate che forse seguendo l'idea di Ventura hanno voglia di rischiare sapendo di cadere sul morbido.

Ultimo allenamento per Milan Roma

di Gianluca Tancini

Fonte:Ac Milan

Ultimo allenamento della settimana per preparare la partita di domenica sera a san siro con la Roma,stamattina i rossoneri si sono ritrovati alle 10:30 negli spogliatoi per poi alle 11:00 iniziare l'allenamento con riscaldamento scatti,corsa stretching e esercizi tattici, allenamento fatto sul campo centrale.
L'allenamento e proseguito con Mister Leonardo con una part! itella 11 contro 11 a tutto campo provando diverse soluzioni in vista della partita con la Roma, la seduta e finita alle 12:30 domani giorno di vigilia rifinitura pomeridiana.

Promossi&Bocciati di Modena-Frosinone: Cariello e Troianiello inarrestabili

di Marco Fundoni

fonte: goal.com

Gli esterni del Frosinone volano. Nel Modena si salva Bruno.

Cariello: Non era prevista la sua presenza in campo, almeno dal primo minuto e invece Moriero lo schiera al posto di Calil nel terzetto alle spalle di Santoruvo e Alfredo ricambia il mister della fiducia ritrovata con una prestazione giocata ai 100 all'ora e segnando il gol del vantaggio frusinate. Voto: 7

Terna arbitrale: A di! re il vero Gava non sbaglia molto e distribuisce "quasi" in mo! do equo i cartellini gialli, ma i suoi assistenti Stallone e Di Pinto ne combinano di tutti i colori annullando gol buoni, fermando in fuorigioco gli attaccanti di entrambe le squadre quando non erano in fuorigioco, non aiutando l'arbitro in decisioni decisive riguardo a falli commessi nei loro pressi. Serve un corso di recupero. Voto: 5

Scarlato: Picchia duro su ogni intervento il difensore di Moriero che dovrà saltare il prossimo impegno in c! ampionato. Molto nervoso oggi e forse anche per questo resta negli spogliatoi dopo la fine del primo tempo. Voto 5.5

Bruno: Lui il suo "gollettino" lo segna sempre, se poi glielo annullano su segnalazione errata del guardalinee non è sicuramente demerito suo. Ci prova di testa, di destro, di sinistro, in mischia, con un diagonale. Subisce per tutta la partita il raddoppio di marcatura della difesa del Frosinone. Canarino in gabbia. ! Voto 6.5

Troianiello: Come Cariello corre per tutti i 66 minuti che resta in campo. Pericoloso in più di un'occasione, è suo l'assist per Cariello del vantaggio frusinate ed è soprattutto suo il gol del raddoppio. Voto: 7.5

Tamburini: L'eroe di Torino oggi patisce tantissimo le incursioni di Troianiello. Non riesce quasi mai a farsi vedere in avanti. Stremato lascia il posto all'amuleto Gilioli. Voto: 5.5

Mourinho convoca Eto'o: "Ho una piccola speranza anche per Milito"

Di Marco Spinelli
fonte:fcinternews.it

Genova è alle spalle, ora bisogna concentrarsi sulla Champions League perché la Dinamo Kiev non farà sconti. Nonostante ciò, non sarà il match di domani sera a decidere l'esito del girone F: "Inter-Dinamo Kiev non sarà una gara decisiva perché mancano ancora quattro gare e 12 punti per concludere il girone. Quella di domani sarà senza dubbio una partita importante perché potrà regalare più tranquillità o più pressione a seconda del risultato, ma non sarà l'ultima del girone. Veniamo dal successo contro il Genoa, ma non si possono trarre indicazioni da quella vittoria. Il miglior modo per preparare la gara contro la Dinamo Kiev era avere dei momenti di gioia, momenti che i giocatori hanno provato grazie a quella vittoria, conquistata soprattutto grazie allo spirito della squadra".

Uno dei problemi più seri sarà la formazione da schierare, e in tal senso non ci sono certezze: "Ieri Eto'! o e Cambiasso hanno svolto lavoro individuale – ha spiegato Mou -. Oggi non potranno allenarsi ma cercheremo di capire se domani saranno disponibili. Samuel comunque verrà convocato. Stamattina abbiamo avuto la sensazione che per Milito ci possa essere una piccola possibilità, non è così invece per Thiago Motta, che non vogliamo rischiare in un momento in cui il suo ruolo può essere coperto da altri giocatori. Motta tornerà di certo contro il Catania". Tornando agli aspetti tecnici della partita contro la Dinamo Kiev, Mourinho trae spunto dalle parole di Muntari: "Sulley ha detto una cosa molto semplice e assolutamente vera: la Champions è una competizione di campioni, abbiamo affrontato quelli di Spagna, quelli di Russia e ora affronteremo quelli di Ucraina. Metà della loro squadra gioca in nazionale e gli altri hanno grandi qualità. La Dinamo è in testa al suo campionato e ha perso solo contro il Barcellona, quando avrebbe potuto segnare in qualsiasi momento. È una squadr! a che ha tutto: struttura fisica, grandissima organizzazione, ! un allen atore di grande qualità e esperienza, velocità sulle fasce e in attacco i due migliori centravanti dell'Ucraina. Noi, faremo di tutto per far bene con la consapevolezza che nel calcio bastano pochi istanti per passare dal paradiso all'inferno. L'ho detto anche ai miei giocatori".

La conclusione è dedicata all'appello ai tifosi perché vengano allo stadio per sostenere la squadra, come hanno fatto prima Zanetti e Stankovic: "So che per un tifoso non è facile acquistare un biglietto per ogni partita dell'Inter, ma so anche che la società ha dimezzato i prezzi dei prossimi due impegni interni e spero che chi è al Meazza possa dare il suo contributo alla squadra, perché lo merita. Abbiamo giocato finora 11 partite contro squadre diverse e abbiamo sempre fatto bene".